Vehicle seat with back rest

ABSTRACT

A vehicle seat has a backrest which is mounted displaceably in the vehicle by a sliding block guide. In order to enable a vehicle seat of compact configuration to be easily fitted, the backrest has a locking mechanism which secures the backrest releasably in the sliding block guide.

This invention relates to a vehicle seat.

Such a vehicle seat is known from German publication DE 199 49 728 A1.The vehicle seat which is shown there is mounted displaceably in avehicle by means of rails. It has a backrest, which is guided in asliding block guide.

In modern vehicles, the construction space is often very limited. In therear, in particular, space is very cramped and is often additionallyblocked by installations and coverings and is inaccessible.Nevertheless, a vehicle seat must be able to be connected rapidly andsecurely to the vehicle. For reasons of space and/or time, knownconnecting methods, such as, for example, screwing the backrest to arear wall, are not economically feasible.

The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat with abackrest, which is of compact configuration and, at the same time, canbe easily and quickly fitted. In particular, the vehicle seat should beable to be securely connected to the vehicle structure.

This object is achieved according to the invention.

The vehicle seat has a releasable locking mechanism, which is configuredfor the securement of the backrest in a sliding block guide. The lockingmechanism can be operated, i.e. locked or unlocked, manually. If thelocking mechanism is unlocked, the backrest can be easily installed in avehicle and can be fastened there by operation of the locking mechanism.Simple removal of the vehicle seat, e.g. for maintenance or repairworks, is also possible. For this, the locking mechanism of the backrestis released manually, whereupon the seat, preferably the backrest, iseasily removable from the vehicle.

In one embodiment, it is envisaged that the backrest is guided in asliding block guide, which is connected to the vehicle structure and hastwo slideways. On each side of the backrest, a slideway is provided. Thelocking mechanism of the backrest engages in the slideways with twobolts and in this way connects the backrest to the vehicle structure.The backrest is thus on both sides firmly and securely anchored andsupported in the slideways by the bolts of the locking mechanism and, atthe same time, guided displaceably in the slideways.

It is envisaged that the backrest, in one embodiment, has a tube runningtransversely to the backrest and supporting the bolts of the lockingmechanism. The tube is preferably configured such that it passes rightacross the width of the backrest and is connected to a bearing structureof the backrest, preferably the frame of the backrest. The bolts of thelocking mechanism can be mounted in the tube in an axially displaceablemanner.

By means of a draw band which cooperates with the bolts and is manuallyoperated, or a chain, the bolts can be axially displaced and hencedisengaged from the slideways in order to anchor the backrest inengagement with the slideways and/or release the backrest.

In an advantageous embodiment, it is envisaged that the draw band and/orthe chain is configured to indicate the correct locking position of thebackrest. For this, the chain and/or the draw band can have a marking,which, in the locked position of the bolts, coincides with a markingfixedly disposed on the vehicle seat. If the vehicle seat or thebackrest has not been properly locked, then the bolts cannot be extendedinto their end position by means of the draw band and/or the chain andthe marking on the chain and/or the draw band fails to coincide with themarking on the seat.

According to one embodiment, the marking on the draw band is configuredas a hook and/or eyelet and/or shackle. The marking fixedly disposed onthe vehicle seat is accordingly configured as a pin and/or hook, sothat, if the backrest is correctly locked, the draw band and/or thechain can be hung from the seat, preferably can be fixed thereto, byjoining up the markings.

It is possible to use the vehicle seat according to the invention inpassenger vehicles, buses and water craft or rail vehicles. Use of thevehicle seat according to the invention as a comfortable passenger chairin aircraft is also envisaged.

Further features and embodiments of the invention can be derived fromthe claims, the figures and the description of the figures. Theaforementioned and below-stated features and combinations of featurescan be used not only in the respectively indicated combination but alsoin isolation, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Further embodiments of the invention are represented and explained inthe drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle seat with backrest and locking mechanism inschematic side view,

FIG. 2 shows a representation of the opened locking mechanism,

FIG. 3 shows a representation of the locked locking mechanism,

FIG. 4 shows a perspective representation of the locked lockingmechanism,

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged representation of the bolt of the lockingmechanism,

FIG. 6 shows a representation of the hanging of the draw band in the topof the vehicle seat, and

FIG. 7 shows a representation of the hanging of the draw band in thebottom of the vehicle seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle seat 1 having a backrest 2 and a seat cushion 11.The vehicle seat 1 is mounted displaceably in a vehicle by means ofrails 12. The contour of the padding of the backrest and seat cushion isindicated with hatching. The backrest 2 has an upholstered backrestframe 21 and is mounted displaceably in a sliding block guide 22, withslideways 23, which is fastened in the vehicle. In addition, thebackrest 2 is connected to the seat cushion and the rails 12, e.g. hungor inserted, such that it is pivotable and easily detachable.

Through displacement in the vehicle of the seat cushion 11, guideddisplaceably in the rails 12, the backrest 2 hinge-connected to the seatcushion 11 is displaced in its lower region likewise in the direction ofthe seat cushion 11. As a result of the guidance of the backrest 2 inthe slideways 23, the height and angle of the backrest 2 are altered bythe adjustment of the seat cushion 11. The seat occupant can thus freelychoose and/or adjust his seating position between a rather uprightseating position and a rather angled rest position.

By means of a locking mechanism 3, represented in greater detail inFIGS. 2 to 5, the backrest 2 is detachably connected to thevehicle-fixed sliding block guide 22. The locking mechanism is disposedapproximately halfway up the backrest 2 and is symmetrical in structure.It comprises a transverse tube 31 and two bolts 34, engaging in theslideways 23 disposed to the left and right of the backrest 2, as wellas a centrally running draw band 33, connected to the bolts 34 by levers32.

The transverse tube 31 runs transversely to the backrest 2 and isconnected fixedly to the backrest frame 21. It supports the two bolts 34in an axially displaceable manner in a long hole, the bolts 34 beingdisplaceable beyond the open ends of the transverse tube 31. Thebackrest frame 21 has two side members joined together at their onefront face, so that the cross section of the backrest frame is ofapproximate U-shaped configuration. In the space between the two sidemembers of the backrest frame 21, the sliding block guide 22 engages onboth sides of the backrest at the level of the transverse tube 31. Theinner side member of the backrest frame 21 is connected to thetransverse tube 31 and has an opening through which the bolt 34 canreach. Disposed in alignment with this opening is the opening in theslideway 23 and an opening in the second side member of the backrestframe 21.

As represented in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, if the locking mechanism 3 islocked, the bolt 34 disposed on both sides of the backrest 2 reachesthrough the slideway 23 and back-grips the opening in the outer sidemember of the backrest frame 21. The locking mechanism 3 in this waysecures the backrest 2 firmly in the vehicle. If the locking mechanism 3is unlocked, the bolts 34, as represented in FIG. 2, are fully withdrawninto the transverse tube 31 and are disengaged from the slideways 23, sothat the backrest 2 is easily removable from the vehicle.

The two levers 32 are rotatably connected at their one end to arespective bolt 34. At their other end, the levers 32 are joinedrotatably together and connected to the draw band 33. The draw band runsalong behind the vehicle seat 1 and is accessible on the top side of thebackrest 2 from above and on the seat cushion 11 from below. It can beoperated manually. For locking purposes, the draw band 33 can be drawndownward, whereby the bolts 34 are displaced outward by means of thelevers 32. A stop 35 herein limits the downward travel of the draw band33 and is arranged such that, in the locked setting, the levers 32,beyond the mid-position of precisely 180°, stand at a shallow angle toeach other. Any play in the locking mechanism 3 is thereby compensatedand a stable locking position obtained. In the unlocking process, thedraw band 33 is drawn upward. By means of the levers 32, the bolts 34are displaced inward and release the backrest 2.

Over the path of the draw band 33, the locking of the backrest 2 is ableto be checked. If the backrest is correctly positioned, then the drawband 33 is drawn downward from the setting shown in FIG. 2 into thesetting shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. If the backrest 2, for example, is notcorrectly positioned or if one of the openings cannot be passed throughfreely, then the levers 32 cannot be operated into the locking endposition. The path covered by the draw band is thus smaller. Asrepresented in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, the draw band 33 has a shackle 36,which is disposed on the draw band at such a measurement-definedlocation that it can be hung in a pin 37 disposed on the seat frame 21only if the backrest 2 is correctly locked. In cooperation with the pin37, this marking in the form of the shackle 36 allows the correctlocking of the backrest 2 to be checked, in spite of the lockingmechanism 3 not being visible.

In order to prevent the locking mechanism 3 from being accidentallyopened, the draw band 33, on the pin 37, is protected from slipping off.As shown in FIG. 7, the pin 37 has a check nut 38, which preventsaccidental release of the draw band 33. After the draw band 33 has beenhung, the check nut 38 is screwed onto the pin 37, so that the draw band33 cannot detach accidentally from the pin 37.

1. A vehicle seat comprising: a backrest, and sliding block guidesdisposed in vehicle-fixed arrangement at sides of the backrest by whichthe backrest is mounted displaceably, wherein the backrest has a lockingmechanism which can be operated by a draw band running centrally of thebackrest between laterally opposite sides of the backrest and configuredto secure the backrest in the sliding block guides, and wherein the drawband has a marking which can be hung in a mounting only if the backrestis currently locked.
 2. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe vehicle seat is adjustable between a seating position and an angledrest position.
 3. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein thesliding block guides have two slideways, wherein a respective one of theslideways is disposed on either side of the backrest, and wherein thelocking mechanism has two bolts, a respective one of said bolts engagingin a respective one of said slideways in order to secure the backrest.4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, wherein the backrest has atransverse-running tube, which supports the bolts in an axiallydisplaceable manner.
 5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3, whereinthe bolts are joined together by a toggle lever linkage having twohinge-connected levers.
 6. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 5,wherein the draw band cooperates with the toggle lever linkage for axialdisplacement of the bolts.
 7. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3,wherein the draw band cooperates with a toggle lever linkage for axialdisplacement of the bolts.
 8. A vehicle seat comprising: a backrest, andsliding block guides disposed in vehicle-fixed arrangement at sides ofthe backrest by which the backrest is mounted displaceably, wherein thebackrest has a locking mechanism which can be operated by a draw bandrunning centrally of the backrest between laterally opposite sides ofthe backrest and configured to secure the backrest in the sliding blockguides, wherein the draw band has a marking for indicating correctlocking of the backrest, and wherein the marking is configured as ashackle, eyelet, or hook and can be hung in a mounting only if thebackrest is correctly locked.
 9. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 8,wherein the mounting is a pin.
 10. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim8, wherein the sliding block guide has two slideways, wherein arespective one of the slideways is disposed on either side of thebackrest, and wherein the locking mechanism has two bolts, a respectiveone of said bolts engaging in a respective one of said slideways inorder to secure the backrest.
 11. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim10, wherein the backrest has a transverse-running tube, which supportsthe bolts in an axially displaceable manner.
 12. The vehicle seat asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the bolts are joined together by a togglelever linkage having two hinge-connected levers.
 13. The vehicle seat asclaimed in claim 10, wherein the bolts are joined together by a togglelever linkage having two hinge-connected levers.
 14. A vehicle seatcomprising: a backrest, and sliding block guides disposed invehicle-fixed arrangement at sides of the backrest by which the backrestis mounted displaceably, wherein the backrest has a locking mechanismwhich can be operated by a draw band running centrally of the backrestbetween laterally opposite sides of the backrest and configured tosecure the backrest in the sliding block guides, wherein the draw bandhas a marking for indicating correct locking of the backrest, whereinthe sliding block guides have two slideways, wherein a respective one ofthe slideways is disposed on either side of the backrest, wherein thelocking mechanism has two bolts, a respective one of said bolts engagingin a respective one of said slideways in order to secure the backrest,wherein the backrest has a transverse-running tube, which supports thebolts in an axially displaceable manner, and wherein the bolts arejoined together by a toggle lever linkage having two hinge-connectedlevers.
 15. A vehicle seat comprising: a backrest, and sliding blockguides disposed in vehicle-fixed arrangement at sides of the backrest bywhich the backrest is mounted displaceably, wherein the backrest has alocking mechanism which can be operated by a draw band running centrallyof the backrest between laterally opposite sides of the backrest andconfigured to secure the backrest in the sliding block guides, whereinthe draw band has a marking for indicating correct locking of thebackrest, wherein the sliding block guides have two slideways, wherein arespective one of the slideways is disposed on either side of thebackrest, wherein the locking mechanism has two bolts, a respective oneof said bolts engaging in a respective one of said slideways in order tosecure the backrest, wherein the backrest has a transverse-running tube,which supports the bolts in an axially displaceable manner, and whereinthe draw band cooperates with a toggle lever linkage for axialdisplacement of the bolts.